Miners end protest after deal following ministry talks in Ankara

ANKARA

Miners who had been protesting in Ankara ended their demonstrations after reaching an agreement with their employer following talks hosted by the Interior Ministry, officials said.

The meeting was chaired by a deputy interior minister and attended by deputy ministers from the labour and energy ministries, along with representatives of the workers and the employer. After around 90 minutes of discussions, the sides reached a compromise to end the strike and protests.

Authorities said a substantial portion of the miners’ unpaid wages has already been transferred to their accounts, while the remaining payments are expected to be completed within 15 days under the agreement.

Officials added that, following efforts led by Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, the employer transferred 96.34 million Turkish lira (around $2.14 million) to the workers’ accounts.

The protests in the capital had been driven by delayed wage payments, and workers confirmed they would halt their action following the deal.